Read Is. 52:13-53:12, Ps. 31, Heb. 4:14-16,5:7-9, John 18:1-19:42
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)
Today is Good Friday; the day we remember the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. On Good Friday, Mary cried, John the Beloved cried, the other disciples fled, and Veronica and all the women of Jerusalem wept for Jesus. Everything seemed painful at that moment, the devil felt like a winner that day, not knowing that Jesus had a plan: to undo the mistake of Adam and Eve, to restore that which was lost on the tree.
So, in celebrating the death of Jesus, we are celebrating our victory over the devil. We are celebrating our ultimate power as Christians over the kingdom of darkness and all the forces of evil that prevail in our world.
The very cross has become our passport, our ticket, our legal tender, our mark of authority against the devil as that which was a symbol of shame has been transformed into a symbol of victory. The devil can never stand the cross; it is always going to be a reminder of his ultimate defeat.
In celebrating the death of Jesus Christ, we are celebrating our healing. As Isaiah says: “By his stripes, we are healed.” In celebrating the death of Jesus Christ, we are celebrating the closeness of God to us. Because Jesus once took our flesh, Jesus knows exactly what it means to be betrayed, insulted, made to suffer injustice, seriously grieved, lied to, treated with ingratitude, and so on.
Through his suffering and death, Jesus has gone through every possible emotion that we go through. This makes Jesus the perfect High Priest as the Book of Hebrews explains. Only a person who has suffered can understand people who are suffering – Jesus suffered; so when we suffer, let us approach Jesus with full confidence and trust in his power to save.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, may my acceptance of your cross bring me everlasting joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Good Friday, Bible Study: Is. 52:13-53:12, Ps. 31, Heb. 4:14-16,5:7-9, John 18:1-19:42).
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus Abu